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Biofilms in Human Health

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Biofilms in Human Diseases: Treatment and Control

Abstract

Biofilm is a surface-attached cluster of microorganisms rooted and proliferating in a self-fabricated matrix of polymeric materials. Bacteria existing in biofilms can be more resilient in comparison with their free-floating counterparts to antimicrobials. Biofilms play a substantial role in human disease transmission and perseverance, especially for inert surface-related disease, like cases of infections related to medical devices for internal or external use. Due to their better resistance against macrophages and antibiotics in comparison to free living cells, biofilm-triggered infections on implants are difficult to eradicate. While the formation of biofilms is largely understood, the means of eliminating and controlling them once they have been formed are still the subject of research. Biofilms associated in medicine are particularly difficult to handle due to the sensitivity of the human tissue and medical devices. The chapter aims at discussing biofilm development, their influence on human health and difficulties related to biofilm control.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Biotechnology, Institute of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow–Deva Road, Barabanki, 225003, India

    Surojeet Das, Shivani Singh, Aashna Srivastava & Akash Bajpai

  2. Ganga Research Centre, No 91, Mettuppalayam Road, Coimbatore, 641030, India

    Monica Steffi Matchado

Authors
  1. Surojeet Das
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  2. Shivani Singh
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  3. Monica Steffi Matchado
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  4. Aashna Srivastava
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  5. Akash Bajpai
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Correspondence to Surojeet Das .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Bio-Sciences, Institute of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Sunil Kumar

  2. Faculty of Biotechnology, Institute of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Niharika Chandra

  3. Institute of Management, Commerce and Economics, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Leena Singh

  4. Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Zaffar Hashmi

  5. Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University, Noida, India

    Ajit Varma

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Das, S., Singh, S., Matchado, M.S., Srivastava, A., Bajpai, A. (2019). Biofilms in Human Health. In: Kumar, S., Chandra, N., Singh, L., Hashmi, M., Varma, A. (eds) Biofilms in Human Diseases: Treatment and Control. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30757-8_3

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